Resilience & Emergency Response Award - Excellence in Public Service Awards

Presented as part of the Excellence in Public Service Awards, the Gateway Public Service Award honors dedicated City employees who open the door between residents and their government, building trust, strengthening civic pride, and showing the people of St. Louis the very best of their City. 

Join us at the Rotunda, City Hall, on Tuesday, October 13, as we celebrate these outstanding public servants and reveal the recipient of the Gateway Public Service Award! The Excellence in Public Service Awards program runs from 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Kristen Capps-Jones

City Emergency Management Agency

During the May 16, 2025 tornado response, Kristen Capps-Jones led the Planning Section of the City's Emergency Operations Center, the team responsible for building the operational picture that guided decisions on where to send resources and how to reach affected residents. Across a multi-day, multi-agency operation, she ran situation reporting, coordinated with local, state, and federal partners, and maintained the documentation that allowed the City to act deliberately rather than reactively.

Her contribution continued well after the immediate response. With key administrative positions vacant, Kristen took on CEMA's payroll and accounting duties, resolved outstanding invoices, and built the financial tracking needed to separate disaster costs spanning two fiscal years from day-to-day operations. That work is essential to the City's eligibility for federal reimbursement. She also authored a new procurement policy, effective August 2026, that gives the agency a clear and consistent process for routine purchases.

“I've always been driven by a sense of fairness and a desire to make a tangible difference in people's lives. Public service is the most direct way to do that..”

Deputy Fire Chief Michael Arras

St. Louis Fire Department

When an EF3 tornado struck St. Louis on May 16, 2025, Deputy Fire Chief Michael Arras was the department's duty chief. He assumed Incident Command, then went into the damaged area himself as reports of trapped residents came in. He went on to lead operations, directing search and rescue across the hardest-hit parts of the City and bringing together STLFD companies, regional Urban Search & Rescue teams, mutual-aid crews, and state and federal resources. He did so while contending with disrupted communications, blocked streets, and a disaster area that was changing by the hour.

That day drew on nearly five decades of preparation. Over his career, Chief Arras has helped shape much of the equipment and capability today's firefighters rely on, including safer apparatus and ambulance designs, improved protective gear and breathing apparatus, individual thermal imaging cameras, and the department's Rapid Intervention Team program. As Special Operations Chief, he serves on regional hazardous materials, USAR, and maritime committees and has secured federally supported vehicles, boats, and equipment that strengthen emergency response across the region.

Chief Arras is quick to say that none of it was achieved alone, and he credits firefighters, City personnel, and regional partners for their part in the work. In his own words, his role has been to help push good ideas "through to the finish line."

Engine Company 28 & Rescue Squad 2

St. Louis Fire Department

In the first moments of the May 16, 2025 tornado response, the members of Engine Company 28 and Rescue Squad 2 faced several life-threatening emergencies at once. Rescue Squad 2 was working to locate and free a man buried beneath the debris of a collapsed home when crews came upon a family injured in the storm, among them a five-month-old infant struggling to breathe.

With streets blocked by fallen trees and live power lines, firefighters carried their equipment on foot. As the infant's condition deteriorated to near respiratory arrest, personnel were redirected from the collapse to assist. Recognizing that the child could not wait for an ambulance, crews enlisted St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer William Triplett, who drove the infant, family members, and a firefighter to the hospital while respiratory care continued en route. By the time they arrived, the infant was breathing independently again. The firefighter then returned with Officer Triplett to the disaster area to rejoin the rescue effort.

Under the leadership of Captains Matt Taylor and Jacques Mathews, the crews adapted to every obstacle in front of them. Their response stands as an example of fire and police personnel working together when residents needed them most.

Engine Company 28: Captain Matt Taylor; Firefighters Justin Stalley, Cody Carpenter, Blake Novack, and Roarke Kelly

Rescue Squad 2: Captain Jacques Mathews; Firefighters Daniel Hill, Bradley Trower, David Rodrigues, Steve Lodes, Corey Franklin, and Jared Uthe